JADES-GS-z14-1: A Compact, Faint Galaxy at z ≈ 14 with Weak Metal Lines from Extremely Deep JWST MIRI, NIRCam, and NIRSpec Observations
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: JWST has shed light on galaxy formation and metal enrichment within 300 Myr of the Big Bang. While luminous galaxies at z > 10 often show significant [O iii] λλ4959, 5007 emission lines, it remains unclear whether such features are prevalent among fainter, more typical galaxies due to observational limits. We present deep imaging and spectroscopy of JADES-GS-z14-1 at z spec = 13.8 6 − 0.05 + 0.04 , currently the faintest spectroscopically confirmed galaxy at z ≈ 14. It serendipitously received 70.7 hr of MIRI/F770W imaging in the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), the deepest MIRI exposure for any high-redshift galaxy to date. Nonetheless, we detect only tentative F770W emission of 7.9 ± 2.8 nJy at 2.8σ significance, constraining the total equivalent width of [O iii] λλ4959, 5007 + Hβ to 52 0 − 380 + 400 Å, weaker than most z > 10 galaxies with MIRI detections. This source is unresolved across 16 NIRCam bands, implying a physical radius ≲50 pc. NIRSpec/PRISM spectroscopy totaling 56 hr reveals no rest-frame ultraviolet emission lines above 3σ. Stellar population synthesis suggests a stellar mass ∼4 × 107 M ⊙ and a star formation rate ∼2 M ⊙ yr−1. The absence of strong metal emission lines despite intense star formation suggests a gas-phase metallicity below 10% solar and potentially a high escape fraction of ionizing photons. These deep observations provide rare constraints on faint, early galaxies, tracing the onset of chemical enrichment and ionization in the early Universe.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Authors: Zihao Wu, Daniel J. Eisenstein, Benjamin D. Johnson, Peter Jakobsen, Stacey Alberts, Santiago Arribas, William M. Baker, Andrew J. Bunker, Stefano Carniani, Stéphane Charlot, Jacopo Chevallard, Mirko Curti, Emma Curtis-Lake, Francesco D’Eugenio, Kevin Hainline, Jakob M. Helton, Tiger Yu-Yang Hsiao, Xihan Ji, Zhiyuan Ji, Tobias J. Looser, George Rieke, Pierluigi Rinaldi, Brant Robertson, Jan Scholtz, Fengwu Sun, Sandro Tacchella, James A. A. Trussler, Christina C. Williams, Christopher N. A. Willmer, Chris Willott, Joris Witstok, Yongda Zhu
Institutions: Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, University of Copenhagen, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Arizona, Centro de Astrobiología, University of Oxford, Scuola Normale Superiore, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Sorbonne Université, European Southern Observatory, University of Hertfordshire, University of Cambridge, Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Santa Cruz, NSF NOIRLab, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Arizona, Villum Fonden, Dell EMC, Space Telescope Science Institute, UK Research and Innovation, Royal Society, European Commission, National Research Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Danmarks Grundforskningsfond, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Goddard Space Flight Center, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Awards: G103270039, G1166668239, G1175115578, G1245046120, G1325949514, G1338664626, G1577046871, G1592084823, G1632446036, G1700342535, G1839900423, G1855990336, G2005369488, G2021250021, G2144673021, G2262748287, G2272116534, G2309174360, G2447233868, Star formation in galaxies from the Epoch of Reionisation to the present day with JWST, G2550756520, G256731684, G2601397997, G300979063, G3152952368, G3228396264, G3480869486, G3518538256, G361763971, G3660973570, G3681454997, G3775832800, G4035329295, G4042783231, G4161023950, G425668148, Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), G430777504, G434337789, G4863782507, G4915654406, G5080475149, G5275711260, G531848386, G5368796297, G5421974903, G5480708011, G5568641063, G5663025379, G581313191, G6200043914, G6307073466, 1. SCIENCE INVESTIGATION: SUMMARY IN MY ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WRITTEN PRIOR TO THE LAUNCH OF SPITZER I PLANNED A JWST PROGRAM ON ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI (AGN) AND THEIR HOST GALAXIES BUILDING ON THEN-FUTURE SPITZER OBSERVATIONS. TOWARD THE END OF THE SPITZER COLD MISSION AS THE PI FOR THE MIPS INSTRUMENT I HAD LED SUBSTANTIAL PROGRAMS ON BOTH EXTRAGALACTIC OBSERVATIONS AND DEBRIS DISKS SO I PROPOSED TO EXPAND MY JWST EFFORT TO INCLUDE BOTH AN EXPANSION THAT WAS APPROVED BY ED WEILER ON OCTOBER 16 2009. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM THEREFORE INCLUDES BOTH OF THESE THEMES. SINCE BOTH PROPOSALS WERE WRITTEN MAJOR NEW CAPABILITIES HAVE ANSWERED SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS AND POSED NEW ONES. IN THE EXTRAGALACTIC ARENA THESE INCLUDE SPITZER ITSELF HERSCHEL THE EXPANDED CAPABILITIES OF THE JVLA AND ALMA. FOR DEBRIS DISKS THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE HERSCHEL ALMA AND HIGH PERFORMANCE ADAPTIVE OPTICS. THEREFORE THE MATERIAL IN THIS PROPOSAL IS RE-THOUGHT TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE CURRENT PROBLEMS IN THESE AREAS. EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATIONS DESCRIBED BELOW IS DESCRIBED IN A DETAILED INTERNAL REPORT AND IS READY FOR DETAILED OBSERVATION PLANNING. THIS PROPOSAL GIVES A SUMMARY OF THE HIGH LEVEL GOALS AND REQUIRED OBSERVATIONS ONLY. IT INTENTIONALLY SOMEWHAT OVERSUBSCRIBES MY TIME ALLOTMENT TO ALLOW FOR COLLABORATIONS AND SHARED TIME AS WELL AS FURTHER OPTIMIZATION. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS MY RESEARCH GROUP HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN ALL OF THEM; I HAVE BOLD-FACED CITATIONS OF OUR RELEVANT WORK IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY (ATTACHED AS APPENDIX A). IN ADDITION I WAS ASSIGNED AN ADDITIONAL 60 HOURS OF GTO TIME TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG (MOSTLY) YOUNG SCIENTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO HAD MADE MAJOR COMMITMENTS IN SUPPORT OF MIRI (ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE GTO TIME FOR MIRI SUPPORT BY THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM (EC)). APPENDIX C INCLUDES SHORT STATUS REPORTS ON THEIR PLANS., G6464745819, Cambridge Service for Data Driven Discovery (CSD3) - A National Data Intensive Science Cloud for Converged Simulation, AI & Analytics, G7028966183, G7113369193, G7322907961, G7434936867, G7678768968, G7907587068, G7935691682, G8537993047, G8631195605, MRI: Acquisition of a High Performance Computer for Computational Science at UC Santa Cruz, G8931419319, G896202797, G99296377
OpenAlex ID: W4415303358